Membership

What does it really mean to be an active parish member? Below are some observations that may help you make the most of your parish membership, as well as encourage others to join us as active members of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Joining:

The first step to being a member of any organization is to sign-up as a member. By filling out a parish registration form, you can become a member of our parish and start receiving all of our parish mailings. You may also sign-up to receive our parish emails and newsletters.

Attending:

The second step to being a member of any organization is to attend their meetings. The most important meeting that we have is Sunday Mass. As practicing Catholics, our weekly attendance at Sunday Mass is a requirement for parish membership, except of course for those who are infirmed. While Mass attendance is the required minimum, people develop their parish membership by attendance and participation in other parish organized events and activities like Knights of Columbus, Ladies Auxiliary, education for all ages, liturgical ministries, and other events and organizations. Check out our MINISTRIESpage for a more complete list.

Supporting:

The third step to being a member of any organization is to financially support it by paying your dues. The church is the only organization that lets you set your own dues. Becoming a tithing/contributing parishioner of record is the best form of parish support, for it does something more than just provide a record of charitable contributions and pay the bills. Sometimes, this is the only way to tell if somebody is regularly attending church , which is necessary for writing letters of recommendation, etc., on behalf of parishioners. Whether is is by using the offertory envelopes provided to members, or mailing in your offering, tithing members are who we depend on to provide consistent church support. This is how our yearly budget is realistically predicated.

Our Lady of Lourdes is a tithing parish. A biblical tithe is 10% of gross household income. In our diocese, tithing is defined as 5% of gross household income to the parish, 1% to the diocese, and 4% to other worthy causes of household choosing. As a family, your household must determine what you can afford to give.